Jammin’

I’m trying to cut back on the sweet stuff at the moment (yeah, yeah, I’ve fallen into the ‘sugar is the root of all evil’ camp) which is all well and good but what’s a girl to put on her toast?

I found this ridiculously easy (and healthy) recipe for jam from Madeleine Shaw. She uses raspberries but strawberries are just as good; in fact, this is a good way to use up any soft fruit that’s on the turn. Don’t be put off by the chia seeds. I know they look about as appetising as frog spawn but they act as a great binding agent and they’re full of protein, fibre and omega 3 – win win. I picked mine up in Home Bargains for a couple of quid (I should have kept that a secret) but you can buy them in health shops and larger supermarkets.

All you do is chuck about 200g (that’s about half a punnet) of strawberries, raspberries or any soft fruit into a food processor, add a tablespoon of maple syrup (or honey if you eat it), plus half a teaspoon of vanilla extract and whizz until smooth. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and add two and a half tablespoons of chia seeds. Stir the mixture vigorously by hand, then transfer to a jar and leave to chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.

The jam is lovely on toast (another tip: try the rye bread from Brød; it’s delicious and you can slice it up and freeze it so that it lasts longer) and also with porridge, cereal, fruit, or just on its own. Enjoy!